RJ55AMG

I went to the track (some track in Commerce, Georgia - forgot the name) and I had some horrible results. Guys with Civics beat me!!! I know that the main reason my results sucked were cuz I didn't know how to launch the car since it's automatic. How do you launch our cars? or How do I get the best results at the track?

Here were my results:

R/T: 1.047
60': 2.705
330: 6.568
1/8: 9.627
MPH: 80.96
1000: 12.239
1/4: 14.421
MPH: 103.62

MR CLK 55 AMG

Hey Rafi, how did you launch your car? Did you take off the ESP? Did you do a little burnout before your ran so that the tires can get warm? Did you leave it on "S" or "M"?

H-MAN

Here is what I would recommend;

Make sure your transmissions is in 'S' mode for summer, and not 'W' for winter.
Turn ESP off.
Leave the car in Drive versus manual shifting.
Brake torque to about 2000 rpm.
Roll on throttle so you don't just spin your tires.
You could also lower your pressure in your rear tires 10-15 psi for the strip.

Vomit

Don't feel bad about getting beaten by Civics, there are some very quick Hondas at the dragstrip! I have seen them run in the 11 second range at 120+ MPH. Of course, they have no interiors, air conditioning, radio, etc., and usually implode after 20 runs or so, but they are fast when they are at their prime!

Your 60 foot time is messing you up BIGTIME. Either you are launching too hard and spinning the rears, or you are taking it too easy and losing time. I would guess, from your relatively low 1/8 and 1/4 trap speeds, that you are launching too lightly (your trap speeds will actually increase if you lose traction off of the line). As was said, powerbrake, and then ease the accelerator down as fast as you can without breaking the rears loose. It is an art (which I have not mastered!) to nudge up against the limits of traction as you are coming off of the line. My mistake is usually to launch fine, but then to get overly anxious at 10 MPH or so and pin the accelerator (which breaks traction and wastes time). Hence, I end up with trap speeds which are relatively high for my E.T..

Anyways, don't feel bad. . . I have seen plenty of people with C32s and CLK55s running high 14s their first few times at the track.

AheMGone55

how do u brake torque?..roll on throttle... why not manual shifting? tnx

MR CLK 55 AMG

We don't have "s" for summer, we have "s" for sport, "c" for confort, and "m" for manual. For me, I prefer using "m" because I'm able to shift gears right when it is about to redline rather using "s" might shift itself prematurely. Correct me if I'm wrong AheMGone55 but do you mean powerbrake? (Stepping on both pedals and holding it on your prefered rpm range suitable to give you a good launch)

55 ON IT

GET SOME WIDER TIRES!! Those 245's aren't going to cut it.

AMG BRED

275 Toyo Proxes do a great job.. knock off a secon from your quarter mile. :v

MR CLK 55 AMG

No way, a second?! Really? I don't know but that's pretty hard to believe...

RJ55AMG

Thanks for all the tips! To be honest the day I went to the track, it started to rain after my first run so that's part of why my results were so bad. Another was that since it was my first time on the track I took it easy and didn't really floor it cuz I knew the wheels would start chirping and the car wouldn't move. I'll definitely try those tips though and I'll bump this thread with my new results the next time I go to the track.

AMG BRED

well he needs to get his launch down perfect. It's hard for me to believe our CLKs are mid 14 sec. cars. When i meant by a whole sec.. i didn't mean it just because of the tires.. but by everything, the technic, the shifting.. the tires are definately a plus. He needs to hook up on every shift with esp off.

MR CLK 55 AMG

I thought our 55's hit mid 13s all day stock?

clkcadet

about the whole shifting thing.... doesnt this car have about the same amount of torque throughout the powerband starting at a very low rpm? then why would you want to shift at redline? as long as the car is still pulling all that power at a lower rpm?

Vomit

I think that you will do much better with a good track surface and harder launches.

AMG BRED

exactly.. Raffi Jamma did it in: 14.421. If done right, i think he could knock a whole sec. off.

MR CLK 55 AMG

Hey Rafi, if I were you, I'd get a helmet. If you go to the track and lets just say you had a good run like in the 13s, their gonna make you wear a helmet the next time or else they won't let you run. Well that's here over in Cali, I don't know about other states but I'm pretty sure it's also the same pertaining to where your located at.

430

Where's Chappy to chime in with some advice.

The best advice has already been given -- do a little burn out to clean the tires, brake torque (keeping the brake pedal firmly depressed while bring the revs up with the throttle) and roll into the throttle, don't slam it open. Once you get a little speed you won't have to worry about spinning the tires. I would start of brake torquing at lower than 2000 rpm, start at 700-800 until you get used to it. Then increase the revs. The other bit of advice is don't worry about your reaction time. Concentrate on your launch.

AMG BRED

i heard burn outs aren't good for street tires.

RJ55AMG

I do have a helmet (well, it's my brothers but I use it). I took it to the track last time but they didn't make me wear it. I think if i get into the 12's they'd make me wear it but I don't think it's possible to get in the 12's since my car is stock.

430

You don't want to get in the water box or do a big burnout. You do want a small burnout to clean off the tires and get a little heat into them. If you get street tires too hot they become greasy.

You need a helmet when you break into the 13's which you can easily accomplish.

Last trip out I ran 13.0 @109 stock. I am hoping to break into the 12's next time, while remaining stock.

Riot Nrrrd

Wow, what's this weird language you guys are speaking? Greek? lol

"brake torque"? "water box"? Needing a helmet when you get your time down into the 13 second range? WTF? Why?

r3v1ls

You never heard of brake torque? Car magazines use that expression all the time. It's pretty much the only quick way to launch an automatic car. The concept is kinda the same in a manual car, you want a lil more power going down to the wheels before you drop the clutch, cept in this case you're dropping the brake pedal. And Water Box is a first for me, but that's cause i'ven ever gone to the track or done anything affiliated to it.

hellcat

Water box is something you'll find at drag strips. Its a patch of tarmac that is wet down so you can do large burnouts to warm up the tires on the drag cars. And most drag strips will require you to wear a helmet if you have a quick enough car because of safety/liability issues.

M1M2M3

I hear that 3rd gear is the best to launch, is this correct, I've also heard 4th and D. What gear did you start with to do 13 sec 430?

430

I just leave the car in D and let the auto do its magic. It should not matter if you start out in 3, 4 or D as what you are doing is limiting the cars the car will run up to. You are not changing its shifting in anyway.

My goal is 12.8 or better while keeping the car stock.